HC Deb 22 February 1988 vol 128 cc28-9W
Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, by union and Government Department, for 1976, 1986 and 1987,(a) the number of employees entitled to time off with pay for union activities, (b) the annual number of hours taken off and (c) the annual cost of employee's salaries for the hours when they are engaged in union activities,

Mr. Brooke

Details are not available for 1976, and are unavailable in the form requested for 1986 and 1987 except at disproportionate cost. However, I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave respectively to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, South-West (Mrs. Bottomley) on 23 January 1987, at column782, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Sims) on 22 October 1987, at column 856.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the facilities provided for union officials in each Government Department, in order that they may undertake their union duties; and if he will give the estimated value of such facilities in each Department in respect of each union.

Mr. Brooke

The facilities available for union officials are set out in the Civil Service National Whitley Council agreement on facilities for industrial relations duties and trade union activities in the non-industrial Civil Service. This was revised in 1982 and a copy is to be found in the Library of the House. The agreement is used as a model by many Departments in framing departmental agreements with their trade union sides. The precise value of these facilities provided by each Department to individual unions cannot be identified except at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied that facilities provided for union officials within Government Departments are used for their proper purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Brooke

The facilities provided for union officials in Government Departments are covered by the national facilities agreement and departmental agreements and arrangements. It is the responsibility of individual Departments to ensure that facilities are used for their proper purposes.